Billy Graham described prayer like this: “At its deepest level, prayer is fellowship with God: enjoying His company, waiting upon His will, thanking Him for His mercies…listening in the silence for what He has to say to us.” Any biblical study on communication must include the discipline of prayer, and Matthew 6 is a central passage to consider. The Lord’s Prayer (vv. 9–13) comes in the middle of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7). In Matthew 6:1–4, Jesus reframes His followers’ righteous practices as communication with God—not performance for others. He warns them not to announce their good works with a trumpet, but to serve in secret—for God alone.
Jesus then applies this to prayer. We are to pray in private (v. 6)—assured that God will hear and answer. The communication God longs for is authentic and does not need amplification. In verses 7–8, Jesus warns against “babbling like pagans”—the common practice of repeating nonsensical sounds. God is not impressed by a meaningless torrent of language. Instead, Jesus connects prayer to relationship. “Your Father knows what you need before you ask him” (v. 8b). God is continually attentive and aware. Our prayers are not about providing Him with needed information. Rather, they align our hearts with His.
This carries into the Lord’s Prayer. This template begins by elevating God’s name, His kingdom, and His will (vv. 9–10). God’s purpose takes precedence over our own. Only after He is honored do we ask. Notice that these requests are expressed communally—“our daily bread,” “our debts,” “lead us not,” and “deliver us” (vv. 11–13). Our communication with the Father is intertwined with our communion with one another.
Go Deeper
What does it look like to demonstrate humility when we pray? What else does Jesus model in the Lord’s Prayer?
Pray with Us
As we reflect on what we’ve already learned this month about communication in the Bible, we thank You for letting us know You fully. Please align our hearts with Yours.
Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.Jeremiah 33:3
DAILY DEVOTIONS, NEWS AND INFORMATION 